Approximately 40 million American adults are affected by hearing loss, but only 1 in 10 people who need hearing aids use hearing aids. A new study shows that hearing aids can reduce the risk of death by nearly 25%. People who don't use hearing aids but should be may want to make wearing hearing aids one of their New Year's resolutions, according to a new study recently published in The Lancet Health and Longevity by the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
"We found that adults with hearing loss who frequently used hearing aids had a 24 percent lower risk of death than those who never wore hearing aids," said the study's lead researcher, Janet Choi, MD, MPH, an otolaryngologist at Keck Medical Center. "These results are exciting because they suggest hearing aids may have a protective effect on people's health and prevent early death."
Previous research has shown that hearing loss, if left untreated, can lead to shortened lifespan (as well as other adverse consequences, such as social isolation, depression, and dementia). Until now, however, there has been little research on whether hearing aid use reduces the risk of death. Choi said the study is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the relationship between hearing loss, hearing aid use and mortality in the United States.
Using data collected by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 1999 to 2012, Choi and her researchers identified nearly 10,000 adults age 20 and older who completed a hearing assessment (a test used to measure hearing ability) and filled out a questionnaire about hearing aid use. The researchers followed their mortality status for an average of 10 years after the assessment.
A total of 1,863 adults were identified as having hearing loss. Among them, 237 people often use hearing aids, that is, wear them at least once a week, wear them for 5 hours a week, or wear them half the time; 1,483 people have never used hearing aids. Subjects who wore it less than once a month or less frequently were classified as infrequent users.
The researchers found that the nearly 25% difference in the risk of death between frequent and never users of hearing aids remained stable regardless of changes in variables such as degree of hearing loss (from mild to severe), age, race, income, education and other demographic characteristics, and medical history. There was no difference in the risk of death between people who used hearing aids infrequently and those who never used them, suggesting that occasional hearing aid use may not confer any life-extending benefits.
While the study didn't explore why hearing aids help those who need them live longer, Choi noted that recent research has linked hearing aid use to reduced levels of depression and dementia. She speculates that the mental health and cognitive improvements that come with improved hearing could boost overall health and thus extend lifespan.
Choi hopes the study will encourage more people to wear hearing aids, although she acknowledges that factors including cost, stigma and difficulty finding hearing aids that fit well and function well are barriers to their use.
Choi understands these challenges very well. She was born with hearing loss in her left ear, but did not wear a hearing aid until her 30s. It then took her several years to find hearing aids that worked for her.
She is currently developing an AI-driven database to categorize hearing aid options and tailor them to patients' individual needs. She also advocates for larger studies to further understand the link between regular hearing aid use and reduced risk of death, and to promote hearing care.